Visiting France's Perfume Heritage

Museums and Cultural Sites

Musée International de la Parfumerie, Grasse - 2 Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon, 06130 Grasse - Comprehensive collection spanning 5,000 years of perfume history - Features restored 18th-century perfume factory - Guided tours available in multiple languages - Adjacent botanical gardens showcase perfume plants

Osmothèque - The Perfume Archive, Versailles - 36 rue du Parc de Clagny, 78000 Versailles - Houses over 4,000 perfumes including extinct formulas - By appointment only; serious researchers and enthusiasts - Offers educational workshops and historical recreation experiences

Musée du Parfum Fragonard, Paris - 3-5 Square de l'Opéra Louis Jouvet, 75009 Paris - Free admission; housed in 1860s townhouse - Collection includes rare bottles, ancient artifacts - Offers perfume creation workshops

Château de Chamerolles, Loire Valley - Route de Gallerand, 45170 Chilleurs-aux-Bois - Renaissance château with extensive perfume history exhibition - Includes reconstructed 16th-century perfumer's workshop - Beautiful gardens featuring aromatic plants

Perfume Tourism Experiences

Grasse Perfume Tours - Multiple operators offer behind-scenes factory visits - Jasmine and rose harvest experiences (May and September) - Create your own perfume workshops at major houses - Best visited during International Perfume Festival (June)

Perfume Creation Workshops

Galimard Studio des Fragrances - 5 Route de Pégomas, 06130 Grasse - 2-hour workshops creating personal 100ml perfume - Certificate of creation included - Reservations essential

Molinard Perfume Design Workshop - 60 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 06130 Grasse - 90-minute sessions with professional perfumers - Take home 50ml personalized creation - Multiple workshop levels available

Le Studio des Parfums, Paris - Various locations - Focus on niche and artistic perfumery - Small group sessions with working perfumers - Includes materials sourcing education